BOMB threat on Ryanair flight with more than 190 passengers onboard as fighter jets scramble to aircraft
FIGHTER jets have been scrambled following reports of a bomb threat on a Ryanair flight carrying 190 passengers to Greece.
The Greek F-16s escorted the Ryanair plane from Katowice in Poland as a precautionary measure after a bomb threat was reported on the flight, the Greek Defence Ministry said.
The Boeing 737 landed safely at Athens International Airport at 5.40pm, local time.
Police and firefighters surrounded the plane after it landed at a remote spot at the airport and was inspected by the bomb squad, ANA, a Greek news agency, reported.
Passengers were taken off the plane and searched, as well as their luggage and the aircraft itself.
The Greek fighter jets intercepted the plane as it entered Greek airspace above North Macedonia, the Greek Defence Ministry said.
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Previously, it had been escorted by jets from the Hungarian Air Force.
It is unclear where the origin of the bomb threat came from but it is thought to have been made shortly after the plane left Poland.
"The pilot informed the Athens control tower but we don't know where the information originally came from," Greek police spokeswoman Constantia Dimoglidou said.
"All people are well and safe," Elena Dimopoulou, the airport spokesperson, said.
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A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Crew onboard Buzz flight FR6385 travelling from Katowice to Athens (Jan 22) were notified of a potential security threat onboard and in line with safety procedures, continued to Athens where it landed safely before being met by the Greek authorities.
“Passengers disembarked normally and local authorities carried out a standard security search before clearing the aircraft to return to service.”
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Earlier this month, plane passengers were terrified after receiving a bomb threat over their phones.
The hoax was delivered to iPhones over the Airdrop app as the aircraft landed at Gatwick.
Those with iPhones had to stay on the TUI jet for 90 minutes for police checks.
In October last year three people were arrested over a suspected bomb hoax after armed cops stormed an EasyJet flight at Stansted airport.
Essex police "worked quickly and robustly" to resolve the security issue on board the flight to Amsterdam following a call out from worried airport staff.
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The same month, a passenger plane was intercepted by two Typhoon fighter jets over a suspected bomb threat.
The Jet2 Airbus A321 - on its way from Dalaman, Turkey to Manchester - was diverted to Stansted Airport, Essex.
